Olivier van Noort | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1558 (1558) |
| Died | 22 February 1627(1627-02-22) (aged 68–69) |
| Known for | FirstDutchman tocircumnavigate the world. |
Olivier van Noort (1558 – 22 February 1627) was a Dutch merchant captain and the first Dutchman tocircumnavigate the world.[1]
Olivier van Noort was born in 1558 inUtrecht. He leftRotterdam on 2 July 1598 with four ships to find an alternative trade route toChina and theSpice Islands during the DutchEighty Years' War with Spain and Portugal. His ships were poorly equipped, especially in the way of armament, and the crews were unruly.
Van Noort sailed through theStrait of Magellan, and captured a number of Spanish and Portuguese ships along the Pacific coast of South America.[1] While in the strait his men killed around forty indigenousSelkʼnam, in what was the bloodiest recorded event in the strait until then.[2]
He lost two ships on the way due to a storm, including his largest ship, theHendrick Frederick, which was wrecked onTernate in theMaluku Islands.[1] In November and December 1600, he established a berth for his two remaining ships,Mauritius andEendracht, in the surroundings ofCorregidor Island atManila Bay in thePhilippines. From there he engaged in attacks on Spanish ships, targeting the sailing route to and from Manila. This situation was ended after the naval combat ofFortune Island on December 14, 1600. The Spanish lost their flagship, the galleonSan Diego (its wreck would be found in 1992 and yield a treasure inporcelain and gold pieces) but the Spanish captured the DutchEendracht, making van Noort's position untenable and forcing him to retire from the Philippines.
Van Noort returned to Rotterdam via what would become theDutch East Indies and theCape of Good Hope, on 26 August 1601 with his last ship, theMauritius, and 45 of the original 248 crew. The venture barely broke even, but was the inspiration for more such expeditions. The unitedDutch East India Company was formed a few months later.
Van Noort's voyage is also told byHans Koning in the bookThe Golden Keys (Doubleday 1956, 1970), a fictionalized retelling of the voyage for children.
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